Gunter Dufey

Gunter Dufey was born in Kempten, Germany on January 31, 1940, the son of Eugen Dufey, an engineer, and Wilfriede (Herdel) Dufey, a teacher. He obtained his BA (equivalent) at Universitaet Wuerzburg in 1964, an MA in 1965 and DBA in 1969 at the University of Washington in Seattle. He joined the University of Michigan Business School as Assistant Professor of International Business and Finance in 1969, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1972, and to Professor in 1976, retiring in 2002 as Professor Emeritus of Corporate Strategy, International Business, and Finance.

Gunter’s academic interests centered on international money and capital markets, and the financial policy of multinational corporations, focusing on issues of corporate governance, risk management and the international expansion strategy of business enterprises. He was a prolific researcher and published widely. One textbook, The International Money Market, co-authored with Ian Giddy, his PhD student, was extremely popular among finance scholars and practitioners alike, and was translated into Japanese.

Gunter was a master teacher of complex financial topics, and a pioneer in the study of Asia-Pacific financial markets. He was visiting professor at, among others, the International Management Institute (Switzerland), Universitaet des Saarlandes and WHU Koblenz (Germany), and Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). His leading role in the Pacific Rim Bankers’ Program over decades gave him unparalleled visibility and influence in Asian banking. He also served as a consultant and advisor to governments and international agencies, including the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Department of Treasury, Japan’s Ministry of Finance, and the World Bank. He was Senior Advisor to McKinsey Singapore’s Corporate Governance practice in Asia, and was a member of the board of directors of Fuji Logitech (Tokyo/Shizuoka), Guinness-Atkinson Funds (London/Los Angeles), and subsidiaries of Ally Financial (GMAC) (Detroit/Toronto).

Gunter’s kindness, generosity and sociability were legendary. An enthusiastic host, he continually opened his home, his table and his wallet to family, friends and acquaintances, sharing his wisdom and advice, and devoting time to helping others in ways big and small. He was devoted to philanthropy and to providing opportunities for Asian students to study abroad, especially at the University of Michigan. He set up the non-profit Education Exchange Ltd in Singapore to provide financial aid and scholarships for their tertiary education in the U.S.. At the University of Michigan, he was heavily involved in Asia,

participating in the activities of the Centers for Japanese, Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, supervising and supporting their MBA/MA in Asian Studies dual degree students, financially sponsoring the long-running student-run Asia Business Conference, and the China Initiative at Ross, where he enjoyed interacting with Asian students in the Global MBA program.

Gunter’s life partner of 33 years, Professor Priscilla Rogers of Ross, preceded him in death on May 3, 2023, in their Singapore home. In 2010 they established the Gunter Dufey and Pris Rogers Scholarship Fund at the Ross School, to which other alumni have contributed, providing financial aid to BBA and MBA students from Southeast Asia. They also supported many other funds across the University of Michigan, such as at the Museum of Art, and privately funded many other students. Gunter recently endowed the Pris Rogers Professorship in Strategic Communications in the College of LS&A. He was dedicated to his former students and other alumni of the University of Michigan. Upon retirement, he spent 9 months of every year in Singapore, where he served as Faculty Advisor and sponsor of the University of Michigan Alumni of Singapore (UMAS).

Gunter passed away peacefully on May 15, 2024, at his and Pris’ home in Ann Arbor, just after returning from Singapore via a family gathering in Germany. He lived a full and rich life on three continents. He is survived by two brothers, Dr. Klaus Dufey of Werneck, Germany and Hans-Peter Dufey of Höchberg, Germany, and their families. The countless others whose lives he bettered will miss him deeply and remember him fondly.

A memorial to celebrate Gunter’s life will be held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on June 26 from 2:30-3:30 pm at the Ross School of Business.

RSVPs are required for both in-person and virtual attendance, for which contact [email protected].

Donations in Gunter’s honor may be made to the Gunter Dufey and Pris Rogers Scholarship Fund at the Ross School at https://donate.umich.edu/nR7NA (social media and print) or https://giving.umich.edu/basket/fund/731110/tributee/Gunter%20Dufey%20and%20Priscilla%20Rogers/type/memory